Three out of
Five stars
Running time:
76 mins
Engaging, well directed British thriller with a strong cast and a decent script,
though the part-documentary, part-re-enactment format backfires a little in that it robs
the story of any real tension.
What's it all about?
Directed by Edward Boase, Blooded purports to be true story of how a group of hunting
enthusiasts are targeted (i.e. stripped to their underwear and hunted for real) by the
militant Real Animal League while on holiday on the Isle of Mull in the Highlands of
Scotland. The conceit is that the supposed real-life participants (played by actors
Adam Best, Mark Dexter, Neil McDermott, Isabella Calthorpe and Sharon
Duncan-Brewster) are interviewed documentary-style about their ordeal and the
interviews are intercut with a re-enactment of the events in the actual locations, with the
characters played by a different set of actors (Nick Ashdon, Cicely Tennant, Oliver
Boot, Joseph Kloska and Tracy Ifeachor).
The Good
The performances are excellent, with the “documentary” actors matching up
surprisingly well to their re-enactment counterparts. In addition, the relationships
between the characters (a high-profile hunting enthusiast, the ex-girlfriend he still pines
for, his best friend, his estranged brother and the brother's black American girlfriend)
are well drawn and fraught with tension, which works well.
The hunting sequences are extremely well directed (the actors look convincingly cold,
for one thing) and the situation is genuinely terrifying, even if there is a vague sense of
disappointment that the film never turns into the straight-up exploitation-thriller it could
have been.
The Bad
The obvious problem with the film is that by having all the participants appear on
camera giving interviews the film is stripped of any suspense with regards to who
makes it to the final reel; similarly, there's a distancing effect with the re-enactment
because the film states upfront that you're watching actors acting rather than drawing
you into their story. On top of that, if you're casting people to play supposed real-life
characters, it's probably not a good idea to include two members (or former members)
of the EastEnders cast in that line-up (Ryan and Mad Lucas's crazy junkie ex Trina,
EastEnders fans).
Worth seeing?
Structural issues aside, Blooded is an engaging, well made and superbly acted British
thriller that marks director Edward Boase out as a talent to watch. Worth seeing.